ARTICLES :: PALMS FOR THE HOUSTON AREA

Palm for West Houston

By:  Melinda Sperl

I often get questions about what type of palm to plant in our area and I usually suggest Queen Palms, Mexican Fan Palms, Canary Island Date Palms, Pygmy Date Palms and Sago Palms.  While these are the best suited palms for our area they are certainly not the only ones grown here nor are they the only ones that are sold at nurseries.  Please remember that most garden centers are in business to sell plants regardless if the plants actually grow well here.  My job as a landscaper is to suggest which plants actually do well in our area.  That doesn’t mean that you can’t grow the other palms and you may know your brothers, sister in law, mother’s friend who had one that was beautiful.  It simply means that these are the easiest to grow here and the most reliable.  

Most palms for sale in this area are shipped in from southern Florida or other climes with less cold than we have.   Yes, we do have cold here.  Our cold is not usually extreme which allows us to even grow palms without much fuss.  Also, palms prefer a more tropical climate meaning consistent tropical weather.  While we feel like the tropics some months, this June is evidence that we also have dry periods. 

Palms are subject to a variety of insects and disease Keep on the lookout for yellow leaves, black sooty mold, leaf spot and scale. All palms prefer full sun, plenty of water (but not drowning) and a nutrient rich soil.  

Melinda Sperl is the owner of Dream Landscape Design, Inc., a full service landscape company.  You can reach Melinda at Melinda@dreamlandscapedesign.com or www.dreamlandscapedesign.com